Electrical fuse device



' 1955 E. w. BREISCH ETAL ELECTRICAL FUSE DEVICE Filed July 30, 1953 mx k N ww m v QM ow I I IV, H

INVENTORS Edgar W B ezlsclz ma! 3 v Hoben G. Bee (1.

I THEIR 144 7 OHNEY United States Patent O ELECTRICAL FUSE DEVICE Edgar W. Breisch, Edgewood, and Robert G. Reed, Swissvale, Pm, assignors to Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 30, 1353, Serial No. 371,368 3 Claims. (Cl. 200-433 Our invention relates to improvements in electrical fuse devices, and more particularly, to improvements in fuse mountings of the type wherein a pair of insulating housings having the fuse mounted therein are detachably connected together to form a waterproof fuse mounting assembly.

A primary objective of our invention is to provide a fuse mounting which is rugged and reliable, and at the same time simple in construction, and in which the fuse is readily accessible.

Fuse mountings within housings are well known in the prior art, but prior art devices are usually characterized by complexity and poor accessibility.

The disadvantages of prior art devices are overcome in our invention by the employment of a pair of annular fuse holders composed of bronze or other suitable material, having slotted ends forming expandable fingers for gripping the ends of the fuse. These fuse holders are molded, or otherwise mounted in bores, in housings of neophrene or other suitable material. One end of the fuse is inserted in one holder, and an insulated sleeve slipped over the fuse, the sleeve itself fitting snugly 1n the bore in the housing; the second housing is then slipped over the other end of the sleeve, the two housings and sleeve forming a waterproof assembly, the fuse holder in the second housing receiving the other end of the fuse.

Accordingly, a major objective of our invention is the provision of a new and improved electrical fuse device.

Another objective is the provision of a new and improved waterproof assembly having a fuse detachably mounted therein.

Another objective is the provision of a new and improved fuse mounting in which the fuse is readily accessible.

Still another objective is the provision of a new and improved fuse mounting characterized by simplicity and ruggedness of construction.

A further objective is to provide a new and improved fuse mounting in which the possibility of electric shock is reduced to a minimum.

Still a further objective is the provision of a new and improved fuse mounting assembly having interchangeable arts. p Other objects and advantages will become apparent after a consideration of the accompanying specification when studied in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a View, partly in section, of the assembly as it might appear in detached condition and constructed according to the preferred embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly with the fuse in position therein.

Referring now to the drawings, in Wl'llCll like reference characters are used throughout to designate lilac parts, for a more detailed description of the invention, there are shown in Fig. 1 two housings, preferably composed of neophrene or other insulating material and generally designated by the reference numerals 1a and 16, respectively, having longitudinal bores 32 and 33 therein, respectively, with ends 17 and 18, respectively, adapted to abut against each other while the housings are assembled to form a fuse chamber.

The sleeve 14, preferably composed of fibre or other 2,700,085 Patented Jan. 18, 1955 suitable insulating material, is adapted to receive the fuse 11, as shown, and to fit snugly into the bores 32 and 33. The housings 15 and 16 have tapered or conical end portions 23 and 24, respectively, and have pairs of annular ribs or flanges 21 and 22, and 19 and 20, respectively, to facilitate gripping the housings. Leads or conductors 25 and 26, preferably of flexible material, are provided for housings 15 and 16 respectively for conducting electric current to and from the assembly.

The fuse holders 34 and 35, Fig. 2, are shown mounted within the housings 15 and 16, respectively, and have pairs of ribs 29 and 30, and 28 and 31, respectively, for securing the fuse holders against movement therein. The outer end of holder 34, Fig. 1, is shown to have lead end 27 secured therein, and is also shown to have longitudinal slots cut in the inner end thereof to provide for six flexible fingers, four of which are shown at 41, 42, 43, and 44, Fig. l, and the remaining two at 45 and 46 Fig. 2. The fuse holder 35 of housing 16 is similarly constructed. The fuse holders 34 and 35 receive the ends 12 and 13, respectively, of fuse 11 while the mountings are assembled, Fig. 2.

Although we have herein shown and described but one form of apparatus embodying our invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

l. A separable fuse mounting assembly comprising, a pair of similar housings of insulating material, said housores in corresponding ends thereof, a pair of fuse holders of conducting material imbedded in said housings Within said bores respectively in predetermined positions therein and adapted to receive the ends of a fuse, a sleeve of insulating material adapted to be inserted in said bores over the fuse, said sleeve being adapted to have at least portions thereof fit snugly in said bores for securing said housings with the adjacent ends thereof substantially abutting against each other to form a sealed enclosure, and extending electrical conductor means sealed in said housings and connected to said fuse holders.

2. A separable fuse mounting assembly comprising, a pair of similar housings composed of insulating material, each housing having a bore in corresponding ends thereof, a pair of fuse holders mounted in said bores respectively in predetermined positions therein, each of said fuse holders having a ribbed portion imbedded in a housing and a number of resilient metal fingers adapted to receive an end of a fuse, a sleeve composed of insulating material adapted to be inserted in said bores over the fuse, said sleeve fitting snugly in said bores for securing said housings with the adjacent ends thereof substantially abutting against each other to form a sealed enclosure, and extending electrical conductor means sealed in said housings and connected to said fuse holders.

3. A separable fuse mounting assembly comprising, a pair of similar housings of insulating material, each housing having a bore in corresponding ends, a pair of fuse holders of conducting material imbedded in said housings Within said bores respectively in predetermined positions therein and adapted to receive the ends of a fuse, a sleeve of insulating material adapted to be inserted snugly in said bores over the fuse for securing said housings with the adjacent ends thereof substantially abutting against each other to form a sealed enclosure, each of said housings having exterior ribs to facilitate gripping the housings for separation, and extending electrical conductor means sealed in said housings and connected to said fuse holders.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,798,860 Woodruff Mar. 31, 1931 1,930,594 Marchand Oct. 17, 1933 2,658,125 Whitfield Nov. 3, 1953 

